Shyamalan Prepares Next Mindbender

Director M. Night Shyamalan is known for his shock plot twists, so it's no surprise that the auteur is already flipping the script on the Hollywood power structure well in advance of the release of his upcoming blockbuster adaptation 'The Last Airbender.' The latest gambit: a new project so secret, even studio executives are only allowed to read it under a guard's watchful eye.

So why are execs still lining up for a peek at the most mysterious object in Hollywood since that glowing briefcase in 'Pulp Fiction?' Well, despite the fact that so little is known about the script or the story itself, according to The Hollywood Reporter, one thing is known for sure: Shyamalan has already signed on an A-list cast of stars for the film including Bruce Willis, Bradley Cooper and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Director M. Night Shyamalan is known for his shock plot twists, so it's no surprise that the auteur is already flipping the script on the Hollywood power structure well in advance of the release of his upcoming blockbuster adaptation 'The Last Airbender.' The latest gambit: a new project so secret, even studio executives are only allowed to read it under a guard's watchful eye.

So why are execs still lining up for a peek at the most mysterious object in Hollywood since that glowing briefcase in 'Pulp Fiction?' Well, despite the fact that so little is known about the script or the story itself, according to the Hollywood Reporter, one thing is known for sure: Shyamalan has already assembled an A-list cast of stars for the film -- Bruce Willis, Bradley Cooper and Gwyneth Paltrow -- all of whom are "loosely attached" to star.

Willis, of course, has been down the Shyamalan rabbit hole before, courtesy of turns in both 'The Sixth Sense' and 'Unbreakable,' two films that also symbolically represent the two sides of Shyamalan's career. Following the massive box office success of 'The Sixth Sense,' the director was given unique latitude by studios hoping to glom on to his magic touch and score another hit. When movies like 'Unbreakable' and 'The Lady in the Water' turned out to be flops, however, many execs became tired of his diva antics.

Whether or not they will put up with his latest round, then, will probably be decided less by the superstar potential of the cast and more by the performance of 'The Last Airbender,' which is expected to be one of the summer's biggest films thanks to the massive following the franchise gained during its days as a Nickelodeon cartoon.

How will it unfold? We'll find out soon enough: 'The Last Airbender' is scheduled to hit theaters on Jul. 1.